Before moving to Denver, I had no idea green chili was "a thing." Like, I knew it existed, but didn't realize how much people lose their minds for it out here. I see it everywhere--on tacos, burritos, mixed into guac, served by the bowlful. Fact is, these chili lovers aren't wrong--they're actually very, very right. I've learned to love this special green sauce and while I wouldn't call myself a connoisseur, La Cueva makes some dang good chili. I checked out La Cueva with some long time Coloradans who absolutely love this restaurant. I already had the warm fuzzies hearing about how they started dining here 20 years ago, and having that semi-personal connection made my experience all the better. I honestly love the outside of this restaurant so much--the sea foamy turquoise is so pretty to me. Inside, the restaurant is divided into two rooms, each with a bar. The front room has a cactus that I had some serious plant lust over, and the whole restaurant is divey/cute. We were here for a later lunch on a Saturday and it was pretty quiet. We were able to grab a table immediately and our server brought out waters and chips and salsa. Their salsa was tasty and extra spicy, just the way I like it. They were still serving breakfast well into the afternoon, so I ordered the huevos rancheros with green chili. I gotta say, all day breakfast is WHERE IT'S AT in my book. Our food came out really quickly and the portions were generous. The green chili was so good and seriously spicy--probably the best I've had outside of Taos. Honestly my only complaint about the experience was that they gave me flour instead of corn tortillas like I asked, which is no bigs at all. I love these sort of old school spots! I'd definitely come back here, especially on a day when I'm in the mood to pair a cocktail wit my meal. Their menu has a ton of options, although I feel like I've found the right thing to order and might just stick with that. read more

We have had dinner at La Cueva a number of times, always before a show at the Aurora Fox Theater. Here are three reasons why you might choose to go to La Cueva: 1. The people are nice 2. They take reservations 3. It's essentially next door to the Aurora Fox Theater, so when you're going to the theater, you can park once and access both venues. If you're not going to a show at the Aurora Fox Theater, there are a number of reasons why I would not recommend La Cueva: 1. There is very limited parking, mostly on East Colfax and the side streets 2. The food isn't dreadful, but honestly, it's not very good 3. Portions are very small, especially considering that pretty much everything on the menu is significantly overpriced 4. Pretty much everything on the menu is significantly overpriced, especially considering how small the portions are (yeah, I know - 3 and 4 are essentially the same, just converses, but they are both important and each compounds the other). When you're going to a show at the Aurora Fox Theater, La Cueva gives you one option, particularly with a larger group since they take reservations. If, however, you are just with a party of two, three, or four, I suggest trying some of the other options in that neighborhood. Honestly, La Cueva is closer to one star than two - I give them the benefit of the doubt because at least the people are friendly and accommodating. read more

It's just ok...... very limited parking and overpriced mediocre food. If I need a Mexican food fix I'm going to stick to 7 Legus read more

I judge Mexican restaurants by 2 things. The first is their tacos. The second is their chicken enchiladas. When I went to La Ceuva I was carbing up for a beer festival so I decided on chicken enchiladas to fill my belly. The staff were friendly and the place was kinda dead. A little shocking for a Saturday afternoon. They have a ton of articles and awards on the wall, but they are all from many years ago. Nothing seemed to be recent. I ordered the chicken enchiladas with no rice or beans. It arrived and looked interesting. They cook cheese enchiladas and then throw chicken on top then smother it with more cheese. A little strange to me. This basically tells me that the enchiladas are probably premade and then they just throw it together based on what people order. I actually wasn't a fan. The sauce lacked in flavor and so did the chicken. There was so much cheese that it overpowered everything else. Not sure if I will be back since there are a ton of Mexican restaurants in the area to pick from. read more

La Cueva - Chicken enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

Best Mexican food in Denver!!!! Hands down!!! I have been eating here for 20 years and I have never had a bad meal .. quite the contrary .. it is always amazing!!!! The food is consistently delicious!!! The staff is the most welcoming staff of any restaurant in Denver PERIOD!! Don't miss this!! read more

I got delivery today. First time trying this place. I have hear good things about it over the years. I was very disappointed with the carne asada.. Tasted like over cooked steak with a big mouth of chili powder on it. I'm used to a nice grilled and marinated steak cooked medium rare like I asked . It was well done and yucky. At least the Guacamole and salsa were decent. Sorry I wasted 40$. Probably will feed the rest of the steak to my dogs read more

Pretty expensive for what you get....but the food is good. Ordered menudo, the portion was the smallest portion of menudo I've ever ordered in my life(this is coming from a first generation Mexican American from LA) so that should tell you enough! read more

This place was great! The chicken Mole was fantastic! If you're looking for real Authentic Mexican food, look no further! Will be back, without a doubt! read more

From the house made chips and salsa to your last bite, be ready for a great experience. This is authentic Mexican and it is delicious. Family operated for many many years, you can taste the refinement in every recipe. Try the Mexican hamburger with green chili. Great place! read more

La Cueva is hard to explain because they excel in certain areas and fail miserably in others, but I'm gonna give it my best shot. A group of us went here for dinner the other night. When we showed up we were quoted a 30 minute wait, which was fine by me. That just means I get a pre-dinner cocktail. Score for me! So we grab a seat in the bar. I stood there for like 10 minutes while the guy washed what I believe was every glass in the place, without looking at me once. Then he began a serious scrub down of the bar top. Just when I began to think I would never have a margarita a lady came by and asked us if we wanted drinks. I asked her if they made coin-style margs. She looked at me in utter confusion. I ordered a regular margarita with no salt and received one with salt. No biggie. I just wiped it off. So we sat there and drank our drinks and ate chips and salsa. The chips were good- thin and crisp. The salsa was spicy, but full of onions. Like giant squares of diced onions. So many that at the end of the salsa there were probably a dozen or so pieces of onion in the bowl. My margarita on the rocks was good, but I did have one complaint. After the ordering confusion I order just the house margarita to make it easy. Apparently, at La Cueva the house margarita is not really the house. It's the second-to-the bottom margarita and costs $2 more than what I think of as the actual house margarita. Just a heads up. As for dinner, I had carne asada and it was fair. The green chili really is as spicy and delicious as everyone says, but out of 4 meals it was the only one that satisfied. Everything else was just okay. The best part was that the 3 other people all got their meals waaay before me. I mean long enough before me that one person was able to finish just as I was served. I'm sorry, I lied. The real best part was that 5 minutes after my food was finally delivered, the server came back to clear everyone else's plates, looked at me and asked, "Are you done with that?" I could only stare at her dumbfounded for about 30 seconds before I said, "No. I'm actually still working on it." So, if you're in the neighborhood and want a margarita and/or green chili I'd say it's worth stopping by. As for me, I wouldn't ever drive out there again to eat. read more

After reading the recent review, I realized I had never reviewed this place! OK, here's all I have to say --- green chili. The hottest, meanest, most delish chili I've ever had. I mean, ask my husband, I have spent entire Sundays trying to mimic their green chili using everything required of great chili, freshly roasted chilis, everything!! La Cueva's comes in one temp. and that's hot. Although you can opt for vegetarian (w/out the pork). I once read a review that said the person would be happy just sitting in a corner, all alone with their bowl of green chili. It's hot. I mean religious experience hot. Well, I guess there's more to say... flour tortillas. When I was about 10, my family lived about a mile away from my best friend at the time. She is now running (and has run in the past) in the Olympics by the way. Anyway, her family migrated from Mexico. Her mom stayed at home and cooked all day. One of the things I always looked forward to was coming over after school and chowing down on some hot off the griddle tortillas. So you must go to La Cueva if anything to try the tortillas. Second, the green chili. They have an impressive selection of tequila. Margs, I guess are just so so. That's a drawback. I'll speak for my husband now: He doesn't like the Southwestern/Mexican food I grew up on, he's more Calif. style. He LOVES their specialties, the fish, etc. Try that if you are a Calif. transplant searching for your home food. My only worry: The owners will call it quits someday!! read more

The good, the bad and the ugly First the good. I left there with all of my body parts intact The bad was the service. I had to track down our server to let her know we wanted to order after sitting there for 20 minutes. Then at the end of the meal (meal is being generous in terms) their register system went down. After another 20 minutes I stated that I was leaving so either figure it out or dinner is on the house. I'm sure the number I was given was inflated Now for the ugly - the food. Casa Bonita would have been better. Beans served with an ice cream scoop - and these were old - had been in the warming tray a good two or three days. I honestly think alpo dog food would have tasted better If you're hungry and desperate I suggest you resort to cannibalism before dining here read more

Meh I have experienced better is exactly the way I rate my experience. The best part about this place were the chips. The salsa tasted like tomato soup with onion. I had the combo number three. It came with a shredded beef taco, been burrito and cheese and onion enchilada. I am 99% positive that the food was frozen. My taco was soggy and drowning in water. My plate with the burrito and enchilada was also soaked in water. Usually, water comes from meals that are frozen. I will definitely not be coming back here. I love Mexican food and come from a Mexican family and I know what my food is supposed to taste like. I prefer La Fogata over this place! read more

Not exactly what I had hoped for. Some good, some bad. I thought that the chips were great - they were thin, packed a nice pleasant crunch and had a great flavor. The salsa was disappointing. It tasted like something you'd get in a jar at the grocery store. The guac was fabulous, but the price was way too steep. $7.95 for what estimate to be no more than two avocados is a little ridiculous. But it is really tasty! Our margaritas were perfection - though it was disappointing that it wasn't happy hour and the prices were once again - quite steep. For an entree, we split an order of their slow roasted pork shoulder - it was good, though I felt that it lacked some flavor and was a bit dry. Overall, La Cueva is a nice place to eat. A fun spacious decor nestled into the historic Fletcher city center in Aurora. read more

Very disappointed... Much of the food tastes like it came straight out of a can. Chile rellenos seemed to be boiled and beans tasted like they were purchased in the chip isle at the local grocery story. Great customer service would have made it better, but they seemed to be fresh out of that as well. Cheese and onion enchilada should be renamed onion and cheese. I think four years in Albuquerque might have spoiled me for good food. Green chile was the biggest disappointment. Probably deserve a 0 star rating. read more

La Cueva - Best part of the meal - Mexican Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

Some of the best Mexican food in Denver period! I unfortunately have not eaten here since 2008 when I was verbally abused by the owner Molly, when I was just trying to make friendly small talk. Her only attempt at an apology was that she was having a bad day. If you look at other reviews on this place her pattern of going off on customers is consistent! If the owner would get rid of her high horse attitude and provide customers with a wait staff that actually has good customer service skills, this place would get five stars! I would go back but I don't want to be psychologically scarred for life! There are a couple of other Mexican restaurants with food almost as good that I can go to and be treated with respect! read more

I think this should be a 2.5 rating. I decided to give it a 2 instead of a 3 because is was not reall A-OK and it was more "Meh. I've experienced better". I got a quesadilla and asked for beef. It came out and was the barbacoa (beef so I think it technically has a different name as I think barbacoa is pork). Anyway, it was the shredded beef that was in a broth, so it make the quesadilla really soggy. I really should have been carne asada or fajita meet that was grilled. The chips and salsa were ok, but nothing to write home about. They apparently charge for extra chips/salsa after the first complimentary round. I hesitated to ask for more salsa as I did not want to be charged, but I went ahead and did so. Fortunately they did not charge me for the seconds on the salsa. They are ok friendly here......pleasant but it is more of just going through the motions and not really being sincere about it. Probably won't come back. read more

My sister, cousin and I were looking for food in Denver. My sister, who lives here, suggested La Cueva. After coming back to the house and checking the Yelp reviews of La Cueva, I was really surprised to see so many reviews with a single star. We had a very good experience at the restaurant. The ingredients were all fresh, the chorizo was homemade and was very good. The margaritas were also good. The prices were a little high for the location, the atmosphere and for Denver, but they weren't exorbitant. However, you are getting fresh ingredients, not food dumped out of a can. The service was attentive and the woman who served us was very nice. I do recommend this restaurant. read more

Great green chili and not much else. They have a variety of wines and the decor is really weird for a mexican joint. The wait is super long and the food is pretty mediocre other than the green chili. And the chili was really only good becuase it was really hot. So if you don't mind a long wait but want really hot green chili, you should go. I also felt like the wait for a drink at the bar was really long. Oh and they brought out our food at different times, I got my food like 10 minutes before my ladyhawk got hers so, although I am a gentleman, after it started to get cold I ate it. I was done right about the time she got hers and watched while she ate. So I guess, I just feel that this place is average at best. I'm not really excited to go back, but happy that I checked it out. read more

This was the first Mexican food I ever ate. I ate it in the womb. You will not find a better mexican restaurant in the state. Everything is made fresh: the specialties are like flavor gifts from God; the green chile is delicious and hot enough to get you high (no joke); the prima margarita is the best I've ever tasted. If you haven't tried it, I hope to see you there soon. Tip: try the chile plate mixed (both red and green) with whole beans and a side of cheese (you'll need a box... two meals for the price of one) and get a pitcher of margaritas to save your $. If you have more bread to spend, try a specialty. read more

The food is okay. The service is okay The margs are - you guessed it okay. The prices however are not. An entree and two drinks was $30 - not including tip. Beer is priced more than what you'd expect at a chain sports-bar, and margs are as well. Nice people and the service is fine, but value isn't great because prices are too steep for what you get. That is, okay food - but nothing where you'll walk away thinking it was exceptional and worth the premium. read more

I love La Cueva, delicious food, friendly staff (Patricia and Kathy). We love hanging out here. read more

La Cueva - Mexican Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

Eh, I am not sure how I really feel about this place. I have been going for awhile, but I think it is going downhill. I will give it a 4 four the benefit of all the good meals I had here in the past. Service was good, food was quick. read more

We just moved to this area and were recommended La Cueva by a friend who also resides here. I was a bit reluctant to try it because of the lower rating, but the bad reviews are honestly absurd. I'm not sure what people expect, but this is one of the better Mexican places. Maybe we got lucky (we've only been there once), but it was honestly pretty darn good. When it comes to Mexican, I am very picky about being a "regular" customer. There are key components that it must contain. There are so many of these around, there has to have a perfect combination of the following in order for a 5/5: 1) Great food (Entrees, chips/salsa) 2) Inexpensive (which I feel should be a staple of Mexican food) 3) Great Margaritas (100% must have) La Cueva has 2/3 of these in the bag. Their food was great. The staff did a good job and the Margaritas are excellent. The only problem is that it's a bit on the pricier side for me to become a regular. The food is fair enough, but the margs are expensive. Now, with that being said... the margs cost a bit more because they only have higher quality tequila stocked. Would love to see a $6 Cuervo House on the menu. Ha. We will be coming here again, but I'm not totally convinced this is a regular spot for me. Overall, I give it a 4/5. It is definitely worth giving a visit. (As a disclaimer, the only Mexican restaurant I'd give a 5/5 would be Los Dos Potrillos, as it has all 3 components. La Loma would be close at a 4.5/5, but their margaritas are very expensive, but really good, and the food is incredible.) read more

This place is so terrible. We just had the two plates of gross!!!! And to top that off, it was $50. The $8 guacamole was bland and taste like it had gone bad/sour. Both of our plates had at least a half cup of weird chili water on them. Tortillas were soggy and everything tasted "wrong". Also, we were the only customers here at 6pm. Eeeek. We have been here once before and everything was fantastic! This experience tonight could not have been more drastically different. Go to Tacos Y Papusas down the street. The food will be fresh and it was cost 1/4 of the price! read more

Excellent green chile salsa. Spicier than most, but for me it was the perfect amount of heat. I had the three combo burritos with the green chile salsa and cleaned the plate. They were very tasty. Margaritas were pretty good (we all had the house Margie's for $6), but a $10 Cadillac margarita was a bit ridiculous given the rest of the menu's pricing and sketchy neighborhood La Cueva is in. I will go back the next time im in Denver. read more

I had hoped for a little bit of a better experience from La Cueva, but I wasn't surprised in the least by it. First of all, to park here is a nightmare. The parking lot is behind the restaurant, so you have to navigate the off-shoots of East Colfax. And who does't enjoy that? But I can't really blame La Cueva for that nuisance. Although we were quickly seated, our server didn't realize that we were waiting to be served for at least 10 minutes, which I guess gave us plenty of time to choose an entree. Everything our party of three ordered was what I would consider to be "easily made" food at any Mexican restaurant: tacos (soft shelled and hard shelled) and flautas. After nearly 30 minutes, our meal finally arrived. Definitely tasty, and thankfully still hot. But sadly, if you wanted any sides with your tacos (rice, beans, etc), it would be an extra $3.50. A bit too pricey, really. Twas a mess to separate our bill as well. Ugh. Sadly, I would pass on La Cueva in the future for a lunch out with coworkers. The service was much too slow to make it back to work in an orderly fashion. Especially since the dinning room was only half full. Maybe their happy hour is good? I'm not sure I'll be back to find out... read more

We happened upon this restaurant heading home from the Mexian mart. It looked cute on the outside so we decided to give it a whirl. I saw a Yelp sticker on the way in so I knew we were in a good place. :D The salsa was great - spicy just the way I like it. The service was friendly and the food was delicious. I'm not an adventerous eater when it comes to Mexican food but my chicken soft tacos with guac. were tasty and HUGE. Def. will go back next time I'm in the area. read more

Best Chile Rellenos I've ever had. The decor is charming and the atmosphere is warm (and so is the staff). I've had the same dish everytime I've been there. Looking forward to exploring more of the menu... Oh, and they have countless varieties of tequilas! read more

This place was not better than average. It wasn't horrible, but it was not good. Mediocre and maybe not even. Of all the dishes I tried none were done that well. Only the guacamole was even par. Not good but average. The rest was sub par. I don't recommend. I won't be back. read more

Definately unimpressed, definately can do better picking out a Mexican restaurant in this area. Four of us met for dinner before a Fox Theatre show. + It is convenient to the theatre. + The interior is warm and inviting. - The kids in the room next to us were all really loud, it was very echo-y. I don't remember any background music. We found the menu to be very unfriendly and "bossy"..... The menu reads: Yes, these dishes (their specialties) take 20 minutes (because they have to thaw them?...) No, there can not be any substitutions, but you can build your own plate from the a la carte (you do the math). Yes, if you want rice and beans with your enchiladas it is $ 3.50 more (for a gob of dry beans and cold rice?!!). Every one of our entrees were ordered different, but every one looked the same with the same "straight from the can" enchilada sauce. We were sorely disappointed. The theatre recommends it as a "favorite place" so we aren't sure what we missed. read more

My co-workers used to gush about this place. So I thought "I've got to try it". However, I was let down and the servers didn't seem to really want to be there. I've tried it a couple of times and just couldn't find a descent groove of anything that was really that tasty. read more

Authentic and delicious mexican food that makes my tummy feel happy! Festive decor, clean and efficient set-up. The host/owner Norma is friendly and welcoming. The wait staff are courteous and quick. My only disclaimer - I work near here, but don't live nearby, so have only lunched here. Dinner may be a different experience. read more

I had the combo burrito (a la carte) smothered with green. Excellent. Kick-ass chile verde. I really enjoyed the taste as it was not smothered by a ton of cheese. in fact, no cheese. The chile verde is chiles and not much else. No starch to thicken it up. No pork. The smoky flavor is great. 4 stars. The service was 2 stars. Slow to arrive. Indifferent attitude. Never returned to see how we were doing. They lost a beer sale purely because of the waitress. I like the atmosphere. I agree with Marco's review: "It is sad to see a restaurant slowly dying." read more

Absolutely the best mex in the Denver area, been coming here since '78! Molly is no longer around to give people a hard time.

I will say that La Cueva has a very friendly staff, they make you feel like you are family. I have been here several times, each time I have ordered something different. I've had the enchiladas, which were very good, very homemade taste. I have also tried the combo platters, each very tasty. The prices are a litter higher than that of other Mexican Restaurants, that is why I gave the 3 stars. Anyway..,:La Cueva is just a nice place to sit down and enjoy good Mexican food with friends and family. read more

I often go to this restaurant. The food is good, and everyone there is nice. You get fast service every time. Either in a date night ornithology family or anything, it is definitely a go to. read more

Has to be the best Mexican I've ever had in Colorado if not anywhere. Sopapillas were light and fluffy, red sauce was awesome. Special was can enchiladas, with real crab. I think people make the mistake of coming in before a show and it's too busy. Come another night and you'll love it! read more

La Cueva - Tons of tequilas - Mexican Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

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It seems La Cuerva has a strong reputation in Denver although for the life of me I can't understand the appeal. I was part of a lunch party of 12 and they seemed well prepared for us at first, we had the conservatory area and as we were led through the restaurant, I'll be honest, I quite liked what I saw of the interior. The illusion that the staff were prepared was somewhat dispelled by the patchy service. I'd guess there was a good 10 minutes between the first and last dishes to arrive on the table. Add to that a mistaken order ("Oh you wanted no meat?" - yes, that's generally the concept behind a vegetarian dish) and a "generous" 4 flour tortillas to split between 3 people (although when we pointed this out, they did give us another 4) and I was left wondering if they were even paying attention. But these are minor complaints and not the real crux of the problem with La Cueva. Frankly, the food was, at best, average. When done right, I really like Mexican food. I usually judge it on my experiences in New Mexico, having never made it south of the border. Unfortunately, too many restaurants serve a mess of congealed cheese, which to me, is an easy way out. I guess the Green Chili is dish to go for, judging by the reviews, however, one dish does not a good eatery make. As it turned out, I had the Chicken Mole which was distinctly average, served with the usual trimmings, plenty of food, but honestly, rather bland considering the flavours involved in a good mole. None of my companions appeared too taken with the place and I left distinctly underwhelmed. Maybe it deserves a second chance, maybe there are dishes that win and dishes to avoid, whatever, I can't see myself giving it a second chance. read more

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the Denver area and has been for years. Great (and hot!) green chili, deep earthy enchilada sauce, great Margaritas de Oro! Friendly, efficient service; nice family. read more